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Well Folks, the 2014 Miami Dolphins NFL season is upon us which means that the season is just about over. We all know that it goes by too damn fast to fully appreciate the good unless your team (one out of 32) ends-up being The Super Bowl Champion!

So let's get an early start towards appreciating what the end might offer.

Though without the foresight of knowing each teams season long adjustments, potential injuries to key cogs, suspensions, scandals, etc, etc.What does exist below came with careful consideration to each team's 2013 season, as well as 2014's transactions, regime/scheme changes, and schedules. Though each teams home and away schedules is too much to include here, what is included is each teams opposition, and final Won/Loss Projection.

The
NORTH DIVISION plays their own divisional teams head to head twice. They also have one game with each team in the AFC and NFC South divisions which includes the (Saints, Panthers, Falcons, and Bucs). As well they get one bonus match up versus an AFC East, and an AFC West team of 2013 divisional standings corresponding to their own . The home and away games in all scenario's are dispersed equally via the NFL schedule makers.

SOUTH DIVISION has home and away games within the division. Single games with each team in the AFC North, and NFC East including the Eagles, Giants, Cowboys and Redskins, ( I mean Native Americans ). Their bonus match ups include an AFC West and East team.

11 - 5 Indianapolis ( at Denver, and versus New England )

9 - 7 Houston ( at Oakland, and versus Buffalo )

7 - 9 Tennessee ( at Kansas City, and versus NYJ )

3 - 13 Jacksonville ( at San Diego, and versus Miami )

WEST DIVISION has each other twice, along with single match ups against each team in the AFC East, and the NFC West' Seahawks, Forty-Niners, Cardinals, and Rams. Their two bonus games are against the AFC South and North.

12 - 4 Denver ( versus Indianapolis, and at Cincinnati )

9 - 7 Kansas City ( versus Tennessee, and at Pittsburgh )

7 - 9 San Diego ( versus Jacksonville, and at Baltimore )

2 - 14 Oakland ( versus Houston, and at Cleveland )

EAST DIVISION is home and away against their arch rivals. They have two home games as well as two road games versus both the AFC West, and NFC North teams which includes Green Bay, Chicago, Detroit, and Minnesota. The bonus match ups will come out of the AFC's North and South.

10 - 6 New England ( versus Cincinnati, and at Indianapolis )

9 - 7 Miami ( at Jacksonville, and versus Baltimore )

8 - 8 Buffalo ( at Houston, and versus Cleveland )

6 - 10 New York ( versus Pittsburgh, and at Tennessee )

According to the above calculations. There may be one second place team from each of the four divisions with a 9 - 7 final record vying for the two AFC Wild Card spots?

Houston, one of last years pre-season AFC favorites, (though sporting the NFL's worst record of 2013), has some especially good talent on offense and defense , but may find it difficult to get to 9 - 7 with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum, or Tom Savage at quarterback.

Cincinnati was a 2013 divisional winner, and due to that fact was given some benefit of a doubt in several match-ups in order to get them to 9 - 7. The Texans and Bengals have a week twelve head to head at Houston.

Kansas City approached the 9 - 7 realm fairly easy, and is the only team at 9 - 7 that The Miami Dolphins have a head to head meeting with,(same for KC). That battle will take place in Miami on week three, and could/should/will have great consequence to the final standings and/or wildcard placement.

The first tie-breaker scenario between teams of different divisions is the head to head results,(if applicable). The next tie-breaker consideration between teams of different divisions is the overall record against teams within the American Football Conference.

The above overall won/loss record conclusions have the 9 - 7 teams in Conference records at.

Bengals 6 - 6

Texans 7 - 5

Chiefs 7 - 5

Dolphins 8 - 4, ( The KC at Miami game will be huge in more ways than one ), as will numerous other Conference match-ups!!

The Miami Dolphins have to win the games that they're supposed to win! Otherwise,(in order to neutralize every loss that they should have won). They'll have to beat a superior team the likes of the Green Bay Packers in Miami, the Bronco's in Denver, or somewhat equally talented to Miami teams such as Chicago, Detroit, New England, Buffalo, and/or the NYJ's on the road!!

Win what should be obvious victories while winning at one of those recently noted venues,and maybe the Dolphins can fly high into the sunset toward 10 - 6 or better with an AFC East Crown!!

Thank You for an open-minded read, and we look forward to your angle of view!!
How many victories do you forecast for the Dolphins, and others?
Does Miami get in the playoffs as a Wild Card, Division Winner, or not at all?

The waning interest of Miami Dolphin fans is understandable when dissecting the performance of recent GMs. It would be foolish to place the entire burden on a single individual, so Jeff Ireland is merely a guinea pig for the ineptitude of the past as the Dolphins fell from grace. It started way before Jeff, but he's the most recent donkey for this example. (Donkey is kinder than ass, right?)

It’s okay to say it now... A whole draft has come and gone without Jeff Ireland and the difference is obvious. The guy could not even draft a kicker! A freaking kicker? Giving up a 2nd round pick to obtain the 3rd overall pick is okay if the player sniffs the field in two years, but alas, Dion Jordan has not.

Okay excusers explain how other players were selected early and have their own issues. I don’t care. I don’t find comfort in the misery of others. I suppose, for some fans, another player with issues makes Miami's mistakes acceptable. Sorry, I’m playing the BS card, it’s not acceptable…

Drafting three injured players in the first three rounds might be genius in a couple years if they became stars, but it ain’t gonna happen. I still have hope for Jamar Taylor, but Dallas Thomas, ummm, he’ll be lucky to make the roster this year. I know players drafted in later rounds sometimes become great but it's not how to build a great team in the NFL, or piss me off so much.

Great players in later rounds are bonuses and come along rarely. Team-sustaining players need to be picked in the first three rounds or a team will eventually fade into mediocrity or worse.

Seventeen players drafted and one Pro Bowl appearance between all of them. Of the seventeen, seven are gone, some completely out of the league. Another three will have trouble getting out of training camp this year. Ten players in the first three rounds over the last five years, gone… Only five players in five years are starters!

Look at the potential trouble spots on the Dolphins this year and start with the offensive line. Four players selected and one starter in the bunch. When they finally give up on Dallas Thomas, three of those players are completely gone. Miami has an issue at linebacker… Anyone see a LB up there, one, poor lonely Koa Misi and he’s good, but Pro Bowl?

The jury is out on Ryan Tannehill, he might be good eventually… Pouncey seems bent on enough stupidity to run himself out of Miami. The only real player in the bunch is Olivier Vernon but I’m left to wonder what happens to him when the third pick in the 2013 draft comes off suspension?

I know the excusers will load up and tell me all the reasons I should polish a turd, but my eyes are not blinded by fandom. I’m not a sheep following a fool into the same burnt pasture. The Dolphins lost their luster because they hired terrible personnel directors while searching for some retread-coaching star.

Poor Jeffery, we’re just using you as our example of the worst GM in Miami history, no offense though, swear…

Jordan was injured and was picked at a stacked position, why trade? I don’t get it? Some chart from one of those coaching-retreads said it was a great value… The bottom line excusers is, none of the top players in that draft were much better and the trade lost a 2nd round pick while gaining nothing.

Tannehill… Well I didn’t know then and I don’t know now. Something tells me, draft a player when they should be selected and take the bonus points if they turn out to be great. Drafting properly works this way, it makes more sense than reaching for a player who was uncertain then, and is uncertain now.

It means another GM whisperer took advantage of our boy Jeffrey and we Dolphin fans get to argue about Tannehill’s potential. WooHoo, I love potential… I wonder how potential beer tastes, must be like O’Douls, a freaking tease!

Pouncey, no reach - PRO BOWL…

Odrick, injured, he’s been okay if you accept a lost year from your first round pick.

Davis, well I don’t need to explain why this pick was never going to pan out…

I think I made my point, argue if you wish, but it fails to sway eyes not easily mislead by blind faith. So without further ado, let’s look at what’s different about the 2014 draft.

First, no reaching…

Ja’Wuan James is a right tackle, Miami desperately needed a starting right tackle. I realize most fans have never taken a three-point stance and tried to make a first step. Here’s the deal, left tackles need to be comfortable planting their right foot. In other words, most of the good ones are left handed. They don’t make good right tackles because those guys are right handed and plant with their left foot.

Jarvis Landry was selected at a position the “experts” are calling the deepest on the team… It’s another case of the “experts” trying to pull the wool over my eyes. Both Gibson and Hartline are coming off injury and Wallace, well let’s just say, he’s got a little Teddy Ginn in him. (Good thing Jeffery didn’t pick Ginn, I could have a field day!)

The running back debate… Hi Dolphin fans, I’ve got a golden chariot and it’s being pulled by the most magnificent donkey you have ever seen! Backs are a dime dozen on any team capable of drafting offensive linemen. GM ineptitude is what this is all about, can anyone say, “cart before the donkey!”

Billy Turner, I don’t know, but the signs are good…

Maybe Miami is on the right track with Dennis Hickey. The Dolphins could sure use a break.

So I guess the whole point is, even Tony Sparano may have been a decent coach, we’ll never know. The problem in Miami has been in the personnel department and unfortunately, it’s been overlooked for the glitz of coaching-retreads.

Please forgive me while I warm up to our Miami Dolphin season with a little ramble.

2014 could go in many directions but the key is not named Ryan Tannehill. You see, potential and a dollar bill will buy a Snickers bar or a cup of coffee, but not much else. The Dolphins have spent two seasons grooming Tannehill and it's noteworthy in this age of mega-money and instant gratification because it points to a broader view of the direction this team is traveling.

Joe Philbin said he would build a team through the draft and aside from some questionable Jeff Ireland free agents, he appears to be keeping his word. The first drive of 2014 left me in awe. Bill Lazor calling plays with Tannehill at the helm showed an offense far from the anything seen in Miami since Dan Marino hung up the spikes.

Okay it was perfect, but that's more of an abnormality than what we should realistically expect. At the professional level, I have always thought there was little difference in talent from one team to the next except at a few critical positions. The quarterback is easily the most important, yet rarely are they given the opportunity to grow at the most difficult position in all of sports.

It’s evident in the signing of Brady Quinn. There is no need going back over Miami passing on Quinn in the draft. It’s easier to look at where his career went and imagine if he'd been groomed instead of thrown to the wolves. It makes me wonder if the art of coaching is what was lost in Miami and not the lack of talent.

I look at Joe Philbin on the sidelines during games and I must admit, he comes off as a whiny mouth breather. I know, harsh - but this is what I see… Like most, I am easily thrown off by visual perception; the stereotype must look the part. I should have learned long ago when people stopped listening to music and started watching it. The product wasn’t about how good the music sounded, but how good the performers looked playing it.

It gave me an interesting idea, why does a head coach need to be on the sideline? What if Joe Philbin broke with tradition and simply delegated an assistant to throw the red flag. I know, he needs to motivate and slap some butts, high five, yell at underperformers, but is there really a reason, really? He ain’t ever going to come off like Vince Lombardi even if he wore big black plastic framed glasses and started making motivational quotes.

Joe Philbin is proving to be a manager, a guy who sees what he likes and finds a way to make it happen. The talk was, no OC wanted to come to Miami and Bill Lazor was selected by default. In one drive we saw what Joe Philbin saw during the interview process. Lazor wasn’t a lame duck, he was the best man to make Philbin’s vision a reality.

One drive and the NFL sat up and said, “oh my” like the old lady in the Buick commercial. Which leads us back to Tannehill and Quinn, there is plenty of talent in the NFL and perhaps we focus a little too much on the guy behind center. Look up some hall-of-fame QBs, names like Namath, Bradshaw, even Griese and you will find that, the skill level of Marino doesn't lead to Super Bowl victories. Those winner's numbers were rather pedestrian.

I wonder, if a talent as great as Marino cannot win the big dance and a talent as lackluster as Griese can, what separates them? They had the same coach. It seems perhaps even the winningest coach of all time fell into the trap and let his eyes overrule results. It’s not about the player, it’s about the team…

I won’t mention Namath again because… Well you know why, he’s a freaking Jet! Look at Bradshaw and you see Franko, Swann, Stallworth, Mean Joe, Jack Lambert, etc. That was a team. Griese, Csonka, Warfield, Little, Buoniconti, Scott, etc. TEAM.

They say in the age of free agency, “it’s harder to create a team then it was in the past,” but I don’t know if that’s true. Perhaps it’s the age of instant gratification making it harder to create a team. Perhaps, it’s harder to find coaches and personnel people who work together well enough to create a team.

If all teams have an equal share of the money, players can only make the value placed on them by the team in need of their talents. We end up with Wheeler and Ellerbe when Dansby and Burnett were probably better. There’s a knack some personnel people have that eludes others, draft well and allow players to walk when the guy behind them is ready to step up. Big Paul is gone, but Starks and Odrick can carry the weight and Mitchell arrives at a cheaper price. All that with lesser rookie talents fighting for a job behind them.

The point of this ramble is to show that TEAMS go on to be great when great coaches and personnel people make it happen. Don Shula won because he knew talent and could bring out the best in players. Perhaps in the end, the wonder of Marino’s arm trapped him… Like a Diva on stage, we watch with our eyes and forget the lost art in the music.

It’s difficult to be harsh on Danny but the TEAM took a backseat and therein we see the danger of the QB love affair.

How many SBs will Payton Manning win? He won one in the perfect scenario but it’s highly doubtful he will win another. The conclusion is - Tannehill doesn’t need to be Marino or Manning to be great, he needs to lead a team. Griese never had those gifts, but he had something Marino never had, a great team…

A quarterback needs to be a leader, but coaches and personnel people make teams. Joe Philbin can sit in the coaches’ box watching his creation, no need to subvert TV ratings with his mouth breathing incongruence with stereotypical divinity. As long as he grooms Lazor, Coyle and Hickey and that QB, I’ll be content with Matt Moore throwing out the red flag!

Recently, it came to my attention I had not written a Dolphinshout article in a while. I could hardly beleaguer the point; it was two months ago… I quickly reverted to self-analysis – Has some imbalance in the force affected my give-a-crap about the Dolphins and sports in general? Am I getting old? Is this what happens when you get old?

How had I come to the realization, spending emotions on something completely out of my control is simply wasted energy? I reached into my gut hoping for a sign I really cared... Was the Mojo lost, the spirit gone? How did I suddenly realize the metaphysics of transferring a critical spark to my team at the decisive moment was impossible?

Once, I believed I could will a first down… Once, I could anticipate a perfect pass spiraling down into the soft hands of a wide-open receiver. Once, I beat tribal rhythms on the back of orange seats joined by a crescendo of cheers raining down on a triumphant sideline.

It was simpler then, the price was manageable. The distractions were fewer with less obvious ways to siphon the meager salary from my pocket into the coffers of the filthy rich. “They” tell me the dollars shouldn’t matter because the money would not be there if people were unwilling to pay. I’m not sure who “they” are, but I can sense “they” are living better than I.

I’m expected to finance stadiums under the guise I am actually helping the community. Maybe it's not age, maybe I’m just seeing past emotion. Maybe emotion is the exploited weakness that made me blind to the reality of my folly.

“The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat,” those words still ring in my head when I envision the ski jumper plummeting off the ramp. It never really occurred to me I was being conditioned, my emotions led into a perception where someone else’s victory could replace my own. Where, someone else’s defeat could ruin an otherwise sunny day.

I stopped dreaming. I stopped believing I could attain something grand in my own life and started living vicariously through the lives of others who had truly succeeded. I’d given up; sought refuge behind a curtain of fantasy living off the achievements of others.

I decided, not only would I never be any of the things I dreamed of as a child, but I was also willing to pay someone else handsomely to live my dreams. When my body and mind were young enough to envision the dream a reality, I became a Dolphin fan. The day I understood those dreams were past my reality, the players became characters in a fantasy I could pay to cheer, but never participate.

Then a strange thing happened, I started writing for this little blog named Dolphinshout and it resurrected the ability to dream… The legs no longer run fast, body parts sometimes don’t function without pain, and yet the mind is still growing. The mind is able to put these words together for the enjoyment of others and maybe there are more challenges ahead.

Perhaps dreams of the past were only ever that, dreams…

Perhaps in the past my expectations never hovered on the brink of reality. I would never sniff the NFL as a player. I would never even make it to college as a player and so I set myself to the grindstone of thinking work would always be drudgery. I could find solace only in being able to wrestle hope from opposing fans who cheered for teams they somehow fell into pledging allegiance to.

Writing at Dolphinshout opened my eyes to the thought I could still be good at something, success in life was not over. Little did I know it wielded a double-edged sword…

The horizon of accomplishment brought the realization I could be more successful if I wasted less time cheering the victories of others.

I was wasting my time and emotion on someone else’s dream, making them rich while I squandered the precious moments of my life. I have no contempt for their riches; I only lament my own futility in bringing about their fortune. I had forgone greatness and used them to mask my displeasure, blinding myself to the avenues of prosperity.

So where does it leave me? One should never forsake a childhood team even if the reality of a business gouging my allegiance comes crashing down like a boulder upon my enlightened head. My wish is for the good fortune of the folks at Dolphinshout. My wish is, they see clear of whatever is holding them back from waking each morning with a smile.

We should not be foolish enough to buy stadiums for the filthy rich. A beer that costs twenty-five cents should never be sold for eight dollars. Tickets to a game where eighty percent of the revenue comes from outside the stadium should be a giveaway.

Every stadium in the NFL should have a waiting list of fans attending at a minimal cost to experience the sanctuary where they live vicariously through the lives of their heroes.

Heroes do not gouge. Heroes are not greedy. Heroes have gaps in a smile that fools fill with gold. Heroes are humbled by adoration…

I will always be a Dolphin fan. I only hope one day the heroes return…